Find Our Missing - Episode 5 - Evelyn Shelton & Alexis Patterson

 
Evelyn Shelton - 44 year old woman - Spartanburg, SC - missing since May 21, 2011

Evelyn was a kind woman who was the oldest of three children. She was a devoted sister and great friend. However, Evelyn had a problem with holding down a job and a troubled love life. At the age of 29, she was divorced. Evelyn met a man named Stacy Dickinson and she remarried. Evelyn soon fell ill and had to give up her job as a clerk at an insurance firm. She was on disability for over a year. This caused Stacy stress and their marriage was struggling. Evelyn began to get better and was soon back to feeling herself again. She joined a new church and met a man who was married and began an affair. Stacy found out about it and soon divorced Evelyn. Evelyn was heartbroken and left with money problems. She was going to lose her home and decided to take in a roommate. Lori Edwards moved in but Evelyn still had money problems. They later moved into an apartment. Lori saw Evelyn often because they both had an active church life.

Evelyn was known to enjoy male attention and had it often. Sadly though, it was always married men. Evelyn be-friended a man by the name of Johnny Sanders who went to the same church as Evelyn. Friends said that Johnny had an interest in Evelyn and they dated but soon broke up. Evelyn borrowed money from Johnny and they spent lots of time together.

On May 20th of 2011, Evelyn told her roommate that she was going to Johnny's house for bible study on a Saturday night. Evelyn called her cousin on the way to Johnny's house to chit chat. Her cousin advised her not to go there because she was leading Johnny on to think she was in love with him. Evelyn didn't listen and went to Johnny's house.

Lori knew something was wrong on May 21st when Evelyn didn't come home. She then called Tim (Evelyn's brother). Tim went to the police on May 22nd to file a missing persons report. Lori told police where Evelyn went that night and police then arranged to meet with Johnny Sanders. Johnny was sweating and looked sick when the police came to the boarding house where he lived to question him. He told police that Evelyn was reading and got a text message and suddenly said that she had to leave. She was in a hurry, grabbed her things and left. That was the last time Johnny Sanders heard from Evelyn. The police were not sure that Sanders was telling the true. They went to Johnny's apartment to bring him in for a polygraph test. They got to the boarding house and Johnny looks asleep on the bed. As they tried to wake him, they realized that Johnny was dead! The key person in this case has die due to complication with his heart. Johnny was a recovering addict and had diabetes. Apparently, it was just simply his time. Later that week, Evelyn's car was found three block away from Johnny's apartment with an empty gas tank. Then a man who  Evelyn had a planned date with the night after she went missing, found her wallet in a drain pipe not far from where her car was found. Her ID, credit cards and check book were wet but still in tack. Perhaps her disappearance had something to do with the relationships that she had with married men. No one knows what really happened. Evelyn Shelton's case is open and active. However, there have been no leads in the case since she disappeared on May 20, 2011.

If you have any tips on the disappearance  of Evelyn Shelton, please contact the Spartanburg Police department at (864) 596-2376


Alexis Patterson - 7 year old girl -  Milwaukee, Wisconsin - missing since May 2,

Alexis was a bright 7 year old girl who lived with her mother, Iyannaha Patterson and her stepfather Leron. Iyannaha was a single mother at the age of 16. Kenya Campbell was the father of Alexis and he was always in and out of prison. Iyannaha raised Alexis well and took very good care of her. She later met Leron and the two were married. Leron had a son who came to live with family. One May 2, 2002, Alexis wanted to bring snacks to her second grade class at Hi Mount Elementary school. Iyannaha told Alexis to finish her homework the night before. The homework was complete so Iyannaha told Alexis that she could not bring the snacks to school. Alexis was upset but left for school. At 3:00pm on May 2nd Iyannaha said that Alexis never made it home. She asked other children who had gotten off the bus if they had seen Alexis and they all said no. Iyannaha then went to Hi Mount to ask if the teacher knew where Alexis was. the school said that she never arrived at school that day. Iyannaha was in a state of panic! She rushed home to call the police and report Alexis missing. Day after day the police combed the area. The FBI was called out to assist on day five of the search. But there were no leads. The police began to turn to the family for answers. Iyannaha and Leron took polygraph text and questioned. Leron didn't pass the test but Iyannaha did. Rumors began to surface about the case. Kenya Campbell (who was in jail at the time) said that word on the street was that Leron was involved in drugs and Alexis was caught up in "grown folks business".

This is a very common situation when drug trafficking is involved. Children and adults are kidnapped and murdered all the time over drug debits. Leron admitted to having a drug problem. Leron had served time in prison for drug trafficking and robbery. I fact, her was involved in a deadly shooting of a police officer but only served two years in prison because he testified against his partner who was the trigger man.

Years later they have been no leads in the case. Iyannaha and Leron were divorced because she felt that he was hiding information from her. This is a very sad case because this family is deeply hurting for closure.

If you have any tips or information about Alexis Patterson, please contact the Milwaukee Police department at: (414) 935-7263

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/alexis-s.-patterson

Off Subject - Whitney Houston - Death Of A Diva

When I heard that Whitney Houston passed away Saturday my heart dropped. And to be honest, I haven't discussed it much. It's so very sad how fame, popularity and pressure all play the same game with people. Truly amazingly talented people have died too soon because of addictions. But I makes me wonder, did anyone try to stop her? Did anyone try to get her help? Were her friends really "friends" or just yes men?

In the lime light its very hard to tell the difference between people who love you and people who love you for what you have to offer them. I honestly feel if she had not married Bobby Brown, her life would have been different. Never discredit the power of assoication. The people with whom we keep company can have a great impact (negative or positive) on our lives. My heart goes out to her family and real friends. Sometimes we can't help our loved ones when they don't want to be helped. And that hurts the most.

Episode 4 - "Find Our Missing" - TV One Special - Tionda and Diamond Bradley

Last night, the TV One new series, Find Our Missing, aired it's 4th episode. The entire episode was focused on two missing children from Chicago's South Side.

Tionda and Diamond Bradley - Tionda (10 years old) Diamond (3 years old), Chicago, IL, missing since July 2001

Tionda and Diamond were the youngest children of Tracey Bradley (single mother of four girls). Tracey lived in the Bronzeville area of Chicago's South Side. The Bradley children knew how to be safe in their neighborhood. Tracey taught the girls never to open the door for anyone unless they were told to by her. Tionda was young but very independent. She loved her little sister Diamond and took good care of her. Tracey fell on hard times. She asked her mother to take care of the two older girls and she would raise Tionda and Diamond. Her mother assisted her with her children very often because the four fathers involved did not have contact with their daugther's. Tracey was left to raise them on her own.

Tracey worked the breakfast shift at a local group home and normally got home before 1pm. On July 6, 2001, Tracey left for work around 6am and left Tionda and Diamond on the couch asleep. She knew that Tionda knew not to leave the house or open the door for anyone or anything. She figured that she would be home within a few hours and after all the girls were asleep. Tracey said that she got a ride from her on and off boyfriend, George Washington, to work that morning. She also said that George picked her up around 1pm that day and brought her home.

Tracey walked into the three bedroom apartment, and called out for the girls. But Tionda and Diamond were gone! Tracey panicked, and asked George to help her look for the girls in the neighborhood. But George was reluctant and got in his car and left. She found a letter from Tionda saying that she and Diamond were going to the store and to DoLittle School (were Tionda attended summer school). Tracey walked for over one mile, knocking on doors and asking if anyone saw Tionda and Diamond. But she had no luck. Within hours her family members were out looking for them. Tracey's mother left her job as soon as she heard that her granddaughters were missing. when she arrived, she asked if anyone had call the police. And the answer was NO! Tracey didn't want to call for fear that her older daugthers would be taken into foster care because Tionda and Diamond were home alone. Tracey waited five hours then called the police. Precious time was lost in the search for the girls.Within five hours the could be clear across the state!

  When they arrived, she told several lies to cover up the fact that she left them home alone. She told police that she was taking a nap and the girls were outside playing.This was a lie of course. This misinformation hampered the search for the girls.  The Chicago Police Department searched the entire city for the girls. They checked vacant apartments, alley ways and the Michigan River. But nothing. Not even a jacket or a shoe. 24 hours past and the Chicago Police were able to get a hold of a voicemail message that was left by Tionda to Tracey's cell phone. On the message, Tionda said that "George" was at the door and wanted her to go with him to pick up the cake for her older sister Victoria's birthday. Tionda was calling for permission to open the door. She knew not to open the door for anyone. George Washington was questioned by the police. But they found no clues. George had a criminal record for burglary and soliciting prostitution. George was at the Bradley home the night before. In fact he spent the night! He got to the apartment at 2am on July 5th. The police also found out that Tracey was in a legal battle with George regarding the paternity of Diamond Bradley. Tracey claimed that Diamond was Washington's child. Although this was happening, Tracey and George were sleeping together and planning a camping trip with Tionda and Diamond that weekend.

George Washington was never helpful in the search for the girls. He never even tried to assist the family or police. One year went by and still no clues. Tracey's aunt Sheila Bradley - Smith, has been working non stop to keep the case in the public eye. She believes that George Washington had something to do with the disappearance of Tionda and Diamond. As time time past, this case turned into a cold case and was sent to Chicago's cold case files division. No leads have been found.

It has been over 10 years since Tionda and Diamond went missing. There are countless scenarios of what could have happened to these children. Surprisingly enough, Tracey didn't feel that George had anything to do with this. She kept her ongoing relationship with Washington. In fact, she had a son for him. Washington has custody of the little boy. Tracey Bradley knows way more that what she's saying. She seemed to have a bit of a mental or drug problem. She wasn't a good parent and her other children testified to that fact. They said that they had to fend for themselves all the time. There was limited food, clothing and money. Tracey was not selective in who she chose to father her total six children. I feel deeply sorry for this little girls who didn't stand a chance with Tracey Bradley. George Washington was in a legal battle over the status of the paternity of Diamond Bradley. It's apparent that he had little or no concern for the children. So what would make her think that George had nothing to do with the disappearance of the girls?! She must be retarded! Thank God for Sheila Bradley-Smith for really digging deep into this case. She has been working for over ten years to find out what happened to Tionda and Diamond.

If you have any information or tips regarding this case, please contact the Chicago Police Department at: (312) 745-4290

Updates in the Landfill Search for Jhessye Shockley

The search at the Butterfield Landfill (the biggest landfill in Arizona) has began as of 7am this morning. Police have created a forensic team consisting of HAZMAT response team, FBI agents, Child Abduction Response Team, detectives, medical helicopters, paramedics, fire department and sworn officers to perform the landfill search. They will be working in eight hour shifts and in teams of 12 to clear and sift through the trash. This landfill is 20 feet deep and has more than 6,000 tons of garbage. This is definitely a large task. The Glendale Police Department has not released the forensic evidence found in the apartment where Jhessye lived. However, Jerice Hunter (Jhessye's Mother) is still the key person of interest in the case.

Radio Interview with Shirley Johnson - Tom Joyner Morning Show

I was listening to the TJMS this morning and Jackie Robinson (With Inside Her Story) interviewed Jhesseye Shockley's Grandmother Shirley Johnson.

The interview was about 10 minutes, but it was very profound and it gave me a bit of insight on the way this lady really feels about what happened to Jhesseye. Shirley Johnson seems to be the typical grandma. She was asked a series of questions about the cases and if she felt that Jerice really did kill her child. She said, "I don't really think she did it. And I would hate to think that I raised a monster. But if she did, I will have to figure out how to handle the situation." Shirley also stated that she honestly feels that the Glendale Police Department is not handling the case properly. She is asking the question that is on every one's mind. Why has it taken them four months to search the Butterfield Landfill? Don't they think that her body along with evidence could be lost at this point? Why hasn't this case been handle like other missing children cases? I really feel that because this is a family that lacks the financial means and they are black. Jerice has a history of child abuse and has served time for it. That kind of makes people that this case is a no-brainer! Yes, most likely she did kill Jhesseye. But for the sake of closure for all parties involved, and for the sake of giving her a proper burial.

Shirley has been flying in from California weekly to visit Jerice's other children in foster care. She wants to stay in touch with them and help them through this difficult time. I think that Shirley Johnson isn't sure about what really happened to Jhesseye. And the bad wrap that the media is giving her isn't fair. She just a grandmother that's trying to understand that real story.

Give her a break!

Episode 3 "Find Our Missing" TV One Special

A young educated woman kidnapped from the parking garage of her upscale apartment complex and and a 12  year old troubled boy who vanished from the eyes of the world are the missing people that were subject of episode 3.

Monica Bowie - 34 year old woman, Buckhead, GA, missing since July 5, 2007

Moncia Bowie was an educated black woman who got involved with the wrong crowd. She was a college graduate from Cheyney University in Pennsylvania. She left the suburbs of Pittsburgh to move to Atlanta, Georgia to chase success. Monica pursued the dream of having her own event planning company (Go To Girl Promotions) . Monica also work as a personal accountant on the side. She got into a bind for money and took a job as an exotic dancer at one of Atlanta's strip clubs. This club was well known for having well connected clients such as ball players, hustlers and drug dealers.

Monica's mother, Linda Howard, mentioned that she didn't know much about Monica's life in Atlanta other than the success stories she told her. Monica was engaged twice. The first relationship was with a well know real estate broker but the relationship soon fell apart due to Monica not having time him. And the other engagement was to 35 year old Shernotta Walters, a convicted criminal with a history of drug distribution.

On July 5, 2007, Monica was returning home from a night out with friends. She was dropped of at her apartment in Buckhead, GA. Monica walked through the parking garage and was grabbed from behind and was drug screaming into a burgundy Mercury Sable. Residents of the apartments heard her scream for help and called police. She was positively identified as Monica Bowie. Her family in Pittsburgh was alerted of her disappearance. Prior to her abduction, Monica was arrested due a connection with her current fiancee. Shernotta Walters asked to borrow Monica's car to go to the barber shop days earlier. When he pulled into the parking lot of the barber shop, he was arrested. Walters was in direct violation of his parole. He had in his possession, drugs and a hand gun that was not registered to him. He was taken to jail. Monica's car was impounded and she was called in for questioning. She swore that she didn't know anything about this and since she didn't have a criminal record, she was released. Monica sought legal assistance for Walters because she felt that they could get past his criminal issues and move on.

Two days later Monica was kidnapped from her apartment in Buckhead. One day after the kidnapping, the Mercury Sable that Monica was in, was found burned in Northeast Atlanta, but Monica's body was not in it. Dekalb County Police discovered that the car was loaned to a man named Jasper Keels. Keels was later arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Monica Bowie and for illegal drug activity. Keels knew Monica and that could explain a lot. Keels was also friends with Monica's ex fiancee who was jailed for an illegal real estate scam. Monica was his accountant. This could have possibly been a set up by the ex fiancee. Monica has been missing for five years. Her family holds out hope for her safe return.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Monica Bowie, please contact the Atlanta Police Department at: (404) 614-6544



Jaliek Rainwalker - 11 year old boy, Greenwich, NY, missing since November 2, 2007

The cards were stacked against Jaliek Rainwalker from birth. Jaliek's mother was a prostitute with a crack addiction. Jaliek is bi-racial and was put in foster care from the day of his birth. Jaliek suffers from several mental disorders due to his mothers' drug use while she was pregnant. Jaliek was taken in as in infant by a white family in New York. Jaliek's behavior issues didn't become severe until he was 4 years old. Jaliek had issues with rage and outburst and posed a problem for his new family. Jaliek was sent back into foster care and went from house to house until a new family in Greenwich, NY (Mike Kerr and Jocelyn McDonald) took him in. They had another foster child with similar mental problems. CPS felt they were a good fit for Jaliek's needs. Not long after this, the Kerr's decided to adopt Jaliek. The paperwork became final and he was now a member of their family. The Kerr's moved to a rural area in New York and built a two room shack for the total five children in their care. Jaliek along with the other children were sent to local house for home schooling. Jaliek and the other foster child were forced to work sun up to sun down and had to go to bed at 6pm everyday. However, the Kerr's biological children watched TV and played while the foster children worked. The home was small and over run with cats. This was a very strange environment for children to live in. One day Jaliek attended homeschooling and had an outburst at a 4 year old boy who was bothering him. Jaliek was told by Mr. Kerr, to "repent" for his sins by writing letters to everyone that he'd hurt. This was a punishment. Mrs. Kerr told her husband not to bring Jaliek back home but to contact respite care for Jaliek. Jaliek was supposed to stay at the respite care home for two weeks but the caregiver had plans to go out of town for the weekend. So Mike Kerr (not being able to take Jaliek home) took him to the home of his parents. They were out of town so nobody was there except for Mike Kerr and Jaliek. So Kerr and Jaliek stayed the weekend there. Kerr told Jaliek to go to bed and he said goodnight. Kerr told police that he woke up and Jaliek was gone. Kerr found a note on the dinning room table from Jaliek. Jaliek was apologizing for hurting everyone and he promised not to be a bother anymore. Kerr contacted police and told them that Jaliek ran away. Kerr used the note from Jaliek as a "goodbye" note. But others have said that this was just the punishment assignment that Kerr gave Jaliek to do. Kerr and Jocelyn McDonald did not look for Jaliek at all! In fact, Jocelyn McDonald's mother Barbara Reeley, knew that something was very wrong with the Kerr's behavior from the beginning. She said that she concluded that the Kerr's were not trying to help children in need, but the took in children with problems because the government gave them more money monthly for special needs. In fact, the Kerr's received over $3500.00 per month for both Jaliek and the other foster child! One of the parents in the homeschooling group in Greenwich contacted Jocelyn about making a search party to look for Jaliek. Jocelyn laughed and said that she had no plans to waste her time looking for Jaliek because he wasn't going to be found. Jocelyn and Mike Kerr carried on business as usual. They never moved a finger to post a missing person flyer. This behavior seemed very strange to the police. The Kerr's was never cooperative with the police. This cause Barbara Reeley to do some searching of her own. The Kerr's said that Jaliek was wearing a yellow fleece jacket and he had a duffel bag. The police found Jaliek's duffel bag and favorite stuffed animal in the garage of Mike Kerr's father's house. The Kerr's packed up and moved to Vermont and left the two room shack. Barbara Reeley decided to break the law and look in the house herself. Barbara said that what she found brought her to tears. Jaliek's yellow fleece jacket was in his area of the two room house. He was not wearing it at all! Mike Kerr and Jocelyn McDonald were lying to the police and media the entire time. Barbara Reeley was interview on the TV ONE special last night. She truly wants to know what happened to Jaliek and get some closure to the case. This is an example of CPS dropping the ball. Jaliek Rainwalker would have benefited from medication and group therapy. But instead he was keep out of site and forced to work day and night. The living conditions in the Kerr household were not conducive for a child with special needs.

Jaliek Rainwalker was 11 years old when he was reported missing on November 2, 2007. He would 16 years old now.

If you have any tips, clues or information about the whereabouts of Jaliek Rainwalker, please contact the Greenwich Police Department at: (518) 692-9332

Updates on the South Carolina Toddler - Amir Jennings

Amir Jennings has been missing since November of 2011. Amir's mother (Zinah Jennings) is still in police custody pending information about his whereabouts. She is being charged with cruelty toward a child and is heavily drug due to her mental illness. Zinah is pregnant and in jail. Her attorney (Hemphill Pride II) is pleading for her release in order to obtain proper prenatal care. However, Jennings is considered a flight risk and they are still questioning her in regards to what happened to 17 month old Amir. Zinah is taking Risperdal (a drug that is used to treat schizophrenia) and is not very responsive.  The Charlotte police seem to be doing a great job in keeping Zinah Jennings off the street. And with any luck, when her second child is born, it will be placed in a good home. I wish other police departments that are dealing with similar cases of missing children start adopting the practice of detaining people of interest until the cases are solved. The suspects would no choice but to cooperate. However, if the person is convicted of the crime and has served a significant amount of time in jail on suspension, this could cause the double jeopardy effect and they will get off with either time served or a lighter sentence.

The parents of Lisa Erwin, Alya Reynolds, Jhessye Shockley and countless other children who's parents have had something to do with their disappearance, should be treated just like Zinah Jennings. It shouldn't matter that she has a mental illness. Most likely, these other parents do too! But the police would never know because they aren't digging deep enough into the background of the parents. The fact is, very few children are abducted by strangers. A high percentage of the time, these children are abducted or killed by family members. Due to the lack of proper investigation, a lot of these cases go cold because the family members do not tell the truth or refuse to cooperate with police.

Hopefully, they will find Amir alive and safe. But as of now, it looks like there is a very slim chance we'll ever see him alive again.

If you have any clues, tips or information about the whereabouts of Amir Jennings, please contact the Charlotte, South Carolina Police Department at: (704) 336-7600

Episode 3 "Finding Our Missing" TV One Special

Be sure to tune in to the TV One special "Find Our Missing" 9pm cst/10pm est (Comcast channel 172 and Direct TV channel 328).
This will be episode three of the ten part series. Let's show our support for the great work that the Radio One Network is doing to shine some light to people that have lost their voice.

I will be posting a follow up blog about this weeks episode tomorrow.

Thanks for your support!